As Meta makes massive investments in AI infrastructure, the Mark Zuckerberg-led tech company has launched paid subscription tiers across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Expected to roll out globally in the coming weeks, Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will cost $3.99 per month, TechCrunch reports. WhatsApp Plus is priced at $2.99 monthly.
Meta Head of Product Naomi Gleit said in an Instagram announcement video on Wednesday, May 27, that the subscription plans offer “enhanced features that our community already loves” as the company continues to expand its AI products.
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“These subscription plans offer richer ways to express and connect across our apps with more fun features to be added,” Gleit also said in the video.
What To Know About Meta’s New Subscription Plans
The subscription packages include expanded customization tools, upgraded messaging features, and new ways for users to increase visibility and audience engagement across Meta’s core platforms.
According to TechCrunch, Instagram Plus subscribers will gain access to advanced Story controls, including the ability to keep Stories active for longer than 24 hours, view aggregate data showing repeat Story viewers, and access additional profile pin slots.
AFROTECH™ first covered Meta’s subscription push on April 1, when the company began testing Instagram Plus in select regions.
Among the standout additions is anonymous Story viewing, which allows subscribers to watch disappearing content without alerting the creator.
The subscription model will also let users build unlimited custom audience lists for Stories, removing the platform’s existing “Close Friends” limitation, alongside several other expanded tools, per AFROTECH™.
Similar to Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus will also offer enhanced Story features and expanded profile personalization tools, TechCrunch reports. WhatsApp Plus will include features such as premium sticker packs, new app themes, and personalized notification sounds, the outlet notes.
Meta Introduces ‘Meta One’
Meta also plans to test professional-tier plans aimed at creators and businesses along with AI-focused memberships — all under its new “Meta One” brand umbrella.
“We’re also thinking about how to bring this all together in a way that makes sense,” Gleit said on Instagram. “While we’re still testing and learning, eventually we see Meta One as the one place that brings our subscriptions together across all of our apps.”
The company said it is preparing to launch AI-focused subscription tiers priced at $7.99 and $19.99 per month, giving users broader access to more compute-heavy features, including upgraded image and video generation tools, per TechCrunch.
Gleit noted via Instagram that Meta is testing premium plans designed for users seeking expanded functionality across the company’s apps and AI-powered smart glasses. “This is just the beginning with a lot more value to come,” she added.
As AI investments and data center expansion continue, Meta Platforms is positioning its growing subscription ecosystem as a key part of its broader AI-first strategy and long-term revenue growth.
